Charles f



(No Model.)

0. F. SPENCER.

SEESAW.

No. 451,583. Patented May 5,1891.

Wi trz asses J. 92w. cf 2? x/gww UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. SPENCER, OF ROCHESTER, NE\V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY C. MERRIOK, OF SAME PLACE.

SEESAW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,583, dated May 5, 1891.

Serial No. 368,622- (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of h/IOHI'OG and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seesaws; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to seesaws for amusement of children in either the nursery or on the lawn; and it consists in a seesaw comprising a seat beam or board mounted midway of its length upon one or two inverted arch-like standards, the same forming rocking fulcra outside the width of said seat beam or board, said seesaw affording a seat at each of its ends for a child to sit upon, and being portable, light, strong, cheap, and not liable to fall over sidewise, and withal is quite attractive in appearance.

:In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the most approved style or construction of my improved seesaw; and Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same in a line just forward of or in rear of one of the sets of staples, which in this instance are used to fasten in position the arch -like standards forming the rocking fulcrum. Fig. 3 is a side view of a modified form of the seesaw, and Fig. 4 is an end view of the same. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another form of a seesaw, and Fig. 6 an end view of the same.

A in the drawings designates a seat-beam quite narrow in horizontal section, but broad in vertical section, except at its extremities, where it is tapered off,,as indicated at a a. On top of this beam, at each end, broad riding-seats A are applied. On each side of the beam, midway between its ends, is fastened an inverted arch-likemetal standard B, formed preferably of round elastic bar iron or steel of sufficient strength to sustain, with a slight yield, the weight of two children, say of ages from five to ten years. The bar iron or steel, by being bent into inverted-arch form or other equivalent form, makes slightly elastic, yet very strong, light, and substantial standards, which constitute a rocking fulcrum, and thus, while an easy movement is secured,the

seesaw, under downward weight at its ends, is very pliant at its fulcrum-bearing and agreeable to those riding on the seats of the beam. The upper ends 0 of the bar metal forming the arched standards are bent inward horizontally or in any other suitable manner, and these inwardly-turned ends are driven or sprung into holes d, bored horizontally in or through the beam A, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Each of the arch portions of the standard are bent on inclined or curved lines outwardly from one another away from the beam, so as to have a downward and outward inclination, and thus give a broader fulcrum-bearing, and they are tied together at a short distance from where their arched portions come in contact with the floor or ground by means of metal tie-rods f, which act as stays to prevent them from approaching toward or moving away from each other to any objectionable extent. Staples g are placed across prongs of the standards and driven into the beam, so as to prevent the inwardly-turned ends of the standards getting out of the holes d.

In Figs. 3 and 4: a simple board A is substituted for the beam A and its seat-boards A, and the arched outwardly-bent rocking standards 13' are fastened by their inwardlyturned ends to the side edges of the board, the tie-rods f (shown in Figs. 1: and 2) being dispensed with. With this construction, however, the tie-rods and staples may be employed,

if desired, for keeping the standards firm and in place on the board.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the fulcrum-bearing or standard 13 is formed, as in the other illustrations, of bar iron or steel; but it is bent into a form resembling a triangle with its apex cut off, the base cross portion h of this triangular standard being bowed upwardly slightly, so as to form two spaced fulcrumbearing points a outside of the side edges of the seats of the beam or outside the sides of the beam. This standard is arranged transversely beneath the beam instead of longitudinally therewith, as in the other figures. In connection with the standards 13 an angular or doubleknee-brace B running longitudinally with the beam, is employed, the ends of this brace being fastened in the beam on its under side, and its central portion coiled at at around the base cross portion h of the triangular standard or fulcrum-bearing 13.

In all of the constructions shown it will be seen that a light metallic rocking fulcrum is provided, and the same is strong and slightly yielding when subjected to downward pressure or weight, and that the said bearing is constructed so as to prevent the seesaw from turning over sidewise in either direct-ion.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a seesaw, in combination, a longitudinal beam A, adapted for a person to ride on each of its ends, and an inverted open-sided arch-shaped fulcrum-support B, set inclined from the beam in opposite directions and formed of metal bars bent midway of their length and attached by their ends to the sides of the beam, substantially as described.

2. In a seesaw, in combination, a longitudinal beam A, adapted for a person to sit on each of its ends, and an inverted open-sided arch-shaped and downwardly-spread fulcrumsupport formed of pieces of metal bent, re-

spectivel y, midway of their length and attached by their ends to the sides of the beam and connected by transverse stays, as f f, substantially as described.

A seesaw comprising a seat beam or board adapted for a person to sit on each of its ends, and an inverted fulcrum-bearing c011- strueted of bent metal, as described, and arranged centrally of the length of the beam, the limbs of said fulcrum being bent outward with a downward inclination in opposite di rcetions, and their upper ends being attached to the beam and their bent portions bearing directly upon the floor or ground beyond the sides of the beam, the said fulcrum being formed of springy bar iron or steel and stayed by braces, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES l SPENCER.

Witnesses:

DE LANCEY GRITTENDEN, LoUIs DUEMPELMANN. 

